Electronic signals representing video, voice, and computer baseband signals frequently requires a higher, typically RF frequency for various applications, such as RF transmission. Present techniques employ up-conversion processes that modulate higher frequency carrier signals with baseband signals (e.g., amplitude modulation, frequency modulation and phase modulation). Direct digital synthesis has also been used to up-convert baseband signals, but there are upper frequency limits associated with this. FIG. 1 is illustrative of a prior art direct digital synthesis 100 for up-converting a baseband signal. A tuning frequency is specified in a digital word 107 as a fraction of a reference frequency generated by a reference clock 105. The digital word feeds into a phase accumulator 110 and converts the accumulated phase into an analog signal using a phase to amplitude converter 111. The accumulated phase is shown as digital signal 108 and the digital phase to amplitude converted signal 109. The digital phase to amplitude converted signal 109 is converted to an analog signal 112 via D/A converter 115 to produce signal components which represent an up-converted baseband signal having the familiar (sin x)/x signal spectrum.
There is a desire to reduce complexity in the generation of high frequency RF signals by eliminating the up-converters and associated local oscillators. As mentioned direct digital synthesis generates these directly, but has upper limits on signal frequency. Other methods use baseband waveforms with modulators to up-convert to the higher frequency. It is desirable to have a solution for the generation of the higher frequencies without employing the specialized hardware and functionality associated with prior art up-converters. This would permit the use of relatively low frequency standard components for implementing the process.